


ron's confrontation.

by niamhies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Post canon, implied Hinny, ron is a good friend, ronmione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:01:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29865396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niamhies/pseuds/niamhies
Summary: Ron and Hermione have arrived home from their short trip to Australia after recovering Mr and Mrs Granger's memories but when word reaches to them that Harry has been offered to train for being an Auror, Ron's mood is dampened wholeheartedly.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley
Kudos: 10





	ron's confrontation.

Harry Apparated just outside of The Burrow and knocked tiredly on the door, hearing footsteps immediately. 

“Harry, is that you?” asked Mrs Weasley, who, like everyone else, had barely loosened her paranoia since the war that had ended just short of two months ago.

“Yeah,” said Harry, his throat a little sore from the constant talking he had made his vocal cords endure over the past five hours.

The door swung open, and Mrs Weasley ushered him in before embracing him in a brief hug. Harry looked down at her, noticing the slight shine in her eyes that had been vacant for so long.

“Good day, Mrs Weasley?” he asked as he hung his cloak up on a spare hook and observed the scenes of the living room. Two very familiar suitcases were hoisted up on the chairs along with an empty owl cage that Harry knew to be Pigwidgeon’s. “Wait- “

Mrs Weasley chuckled quietly and gestured towards the staircase. “They’re in Ron’s room. I suspect you’ll want to catch up – don’t worry about helping with dinner tonight, Harry. I’ve got something special planned,” she told him before patting his shoulder and heading through the kitchen door.

A grin that felt so foreign to him graced his lips and he all but ran up the crooked stairs, heading for the top floor, and reaching it in less than a minute. He pushed open the door that was already adjacent and bustled into the room. When his eyes landed on his two favourite people in the world, his face lit up like a thousand suns.

“Harry!” gasped Hermione, who had previously occupied a space on Ron’s bed, stood up and bolted towards him, pulling him into a crushing hug. “We were going to owl you before we left but Ron thought it would be a nice surprise.”

“It is! A great one, actually,” he replied and pulled back, so they were facing each other. “So… you found them?” he asked, though judging by the expression on her face and the fact she was back from Australia two months earlier than they had expected, Harry was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, but a small crease developed in her forehead. “We did! It was easier than we expected, I thought it would’ve taken a lot longer than just over a fortnight. They’re okay – well,” she flushed red, “my parents are angry. Really angry, to be honest. I knew they’d be – but they haven’t disowned me yet, so hopefully they’ll forgive me in due time.” 

“Of course they will – you were just trying to keep them safe,” said Harry firmly. Hermione nodded absentmindedly, and Harry knew she was no longer listening, but probably wallowing in the nerves just like she had been before her and Ron headed to Australia.

Remembering her companion, Harry glanced over her shoulder, aware that Ron was still seated on his bed, looking at him with a fixed expression.

“Everything all right, Ron?” asked Harry awkwardly. He stepped away from Hermione, knowing all too well of his best friend’s insecurities, and offered him a smile.

It looked as though Ron was trying to smile back, but with his jaw so tight, it appeared more like a grimace. “A bit tired, you?”

Harry felt like he was missing out on something rather big, and that it was seconds away from blowing up in his face. His suspicions were absolute when Hermione looked back and forth between the two men worriedly. 

“I’m knackered, to be honest. Kingsley’s got me in all these meetings, say’s he’d like you two to join in when you’ve returned as well. You don’t have to, of course; I can make up an excuse if you’d rather not.”

But at the mention of the Ministry, Ron stood up abruptly, eyes narrowed at Harry.

“Harry, erm-“

“No, Hermione. Let me say this, please,” Ron cut through, raising his hand.

Harry’s brows raised, not sure how to take the strangeness of Ron’s behaviour. “What am I missing?”

“I’ll tell you what you’re missing,” began Ron, and he took a step further in Harry’s direction, his expression angry, guilty and hurt. “Mum’s told me that you’re going to start training to be an Auror.”

“Yeah… I am,” said Harry, growing more confused and frustrated by the second. “Kingsley’s offered me a place – offered all of us one, in fact. He said the Auror department want to take us on, if we’d like to. Don't need NEWTs, either."

Ron scoffed quietly, his cheeks turning red. “Just wait until Kingsley pops round – I’ll be having a little chat with him, I think,” he said darkly.

Alarmed, Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “What’ve you got against him? We’ve always liked Kingsley. What’s your problem?”

“ _My problem?_ No, what’s _your_ problem?!” said Ron, his voice raising.

“Ron-“

“Hermione, please!” Ron cut her off again. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it for him,” he glanced back to Harry, who’s fingers were twitching towards his wand defensively, prepared for Ron to lung at him. “I’ll tell you what my problem is, Harry. My problem is that you’re off running around the Ministry as if you own the place and doing everyone else’s jobs for them!”

“What?” said Harry, squinting his eyes dangerously.

“You’re seventeen! I don’t know what Kingsley thinks he’s doing – involving you in all this! _He’s_ the Minister for Magic – not you!”

“Ron, I offered-“

“WHY?” bellowed Ron, his breath ragged. Hermione was calling his name weakly from beside him, but he just shrugged her off.

Harry felt a cold rage enter his system. Ron, of all people, should understand him…

“BECAUSE I HAVE TO!” he shouted back. Soft thuds were making their way up the stairs and Harry recognised them instantly. He cursed under his breath, and hoped they hadn’t woken Ginny up from a rest.

“No. You don’t.” Ron replied defiantly, though he lowered his voice significantly, recognising that his loud anger would only draw more attention to his fury from other members of the family. “You’ve done your bit, Harry. We all have. We’re supposed to rest – to mourn.”

“How can I rest when Death Eaters are on the loose?” Harry said rhetorically, just before the door creaked open.

“I heard shouting,” said Ginny quietly.

Harry turned around, ignoring the jump of his heart - he hadn’t seen her all day. 

“We’re fine, Ginny,” said Ron shortly.

“You don’t sound fine,” she retorted, fed up with being left out from everyone’s conversation. 

“Right, what do I know? Maybe you can talk some sense into him,” Ron snapped nastily, and glared over at Harry.

“Don’t speak to her like that,” said Harry, knowing full well that if Ron wasn’t careful, he was about to be attacked with a bat-bogey hex. “You know why I have to do this, Ron.”

“No, I don’t,” he replied in a defiant manner. “What happened to having enough trouble for a lifetime? That’s what you told us, remember? Or was that all just words to you?”

“Yeah, well you can imagine how I regret saying that now, can’t you? I wasn’t thinking about the future, and the fact that just because Riddle was dead, didn’t mean that the war was over, hadn’t really occurred to me just yet,” he said erratically.

Ginny swept into the room and sat on the edge of Ron’s bed, her eyes never straying from Harry. “Is this about the Auror training?”

“Yes,” Hermione answered, shifting on her feet. 

“And what do you think?” demanded Ron, zeroing in on her. If Harry wasn’t going to take notice of him, he was determined that someone else would make him see his idiocy.

“Does it matter what I think? Once Harry’s made up his mind, that’s it. I doubt you could say anything to change it,” she said honestly, feeling a little bitter, and this gave Harry the sinking feeling that she didn’t approve of his career choice either. Mot that he could blame her.

“Listen,” said Harry, looking sincerely at each of the three, “I’ll be surrounded by the most skilled wizards and witches Britain has when I’m doing my job. I’ll be protected. I’ve survived Riddle countless amounts of times, and nothing can be harder than that, right?”

None of them looked convinced, and there was a moment of silence in the room, only the faint banging of the ghoul against the drainpipes could be heard. 

“Harry,” said Hermione, speaking up whilst looking at him through a watery gaze, “you’ve got to understand the way Ron’s perceiving your actions. We… we already thought we lost you once – hell, you’ll never be able to comprehend what I went through when I saw your b-body in Hagrid’s arms. I thought I’d never see you smile again, or the way your face lights up, or hear you laugh at one of Ginny’s silly jokes, or see you catch a snitch again… And then you survived, and for us three – well, it was like a second chance for us. I hated myself and know I should’ve kept an eye on you – I still feel I should have and always will. Riddle had told you to go to your death in order to save everyone you love, and it was so stupid of me to not think you’d end up doing it! I think about it every single day, and I don’t think any of us could’ve lived with ourselves if you hadn’t appeared from under your invisibility cloak when you did. So, when we heard from Mrs Weasley that you’re going to train to be an Auror – which is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, Harry – you have to understand why Ron’s acting the way he is. He doesn’t want to lose you for real this time. Not when he has the chance to protect you.”

Silence overwhelmed the room once again, and Harry absorbed Hermione’s words. He was no stranger to death – he had faced death, experienced it, witnessed it, enough times to count – and he tried to be empathetic, tried to put himself in their shoes and try to comprehend their thoughts. Harry knew they meant well and their love and concern for him seemed to make his heart swell, he got that. But what he couldn’t understand was how, after all those years of knowing him, they didn’t seem to be able to grasp the reasoning as to why he had ever wanted to be an Auror in the first place. How could they not see his logic, recognise his guilt? Or could they, but were unwilling to accept it? Harry wasn’t sure.

Ron collapsed onto his bed and rubbed his hands over his face stressfully, whilst Ginny fiddled with her thumbs, a haunted look on her face that suggested she was reliving something particularly grim. Hermione was still stood, gazing at her best friend, waiting for some kind of response.

“I…” Harry cleared his throat and looked to the ground when all eyes peered up at him. “I can’t tell you all what it means to me I know you’re trying to keep me safe… keep me happy… But – no, Ron, listen please – you have to understand why I have to do it.” Harry looked pleadingly at them. “T-the guilt I feel… I can’t just bugger off after I’ve destroyed half of Britain because I outsmarted the other side’s top dog and leave everyone else to pick up the pieces.”

“You need to give yourself more credit, Harry,” said Ginny, managing a small smile in his direction. 

“She’s right, Harry. The Daily Prophet isn’t going to make an article on why you’re not seen out their catching the rest of the Death Eaters. Even they’re eternally grateful for what you’ve done,” added Hermione.

“And you didn’t just get rid of Riddle,” said Ron quietly, looking directly at an uncomfortable Harry. “You gave people hope. If it wasn’t for you then not half as many people would have turned up at Hogwarts, or resisted against the Death Eaters whilst we were gone.”

“I can’t just sit here all day doing nothing when I could be of use,” said Harry stubbornly.

Ron gave a frustrated mutter and slump his shoulders. “Will you ever listen to us?”

“I do listen. I just don’t agree.”

"Please-"

“Dinner!” Mrs Weasley’s voice filled the air and Ron was the first one out of the room, ripping the doorknob back and treading down the stairs, muttering darkly as he went. 

Harry followed after him, feeling tremendously guilty for putting a damper on the mood when it should be a time of celebration. A hand slipped into his loose grip, and the flowery scent of Ginny’s hair brimmed his senses.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, overcome with the need to apologise. He hated disappointing his friends, but there was nothing that could persuade him to shift his opinions.

Ginny smiled and leaned into him. “You don’t need to apologise. I’m just holding onto the fact that they give you loads of boring paperwork to fill out all the time and you find being an Auror so dreadful that you end up quitting before your first year there.”

Harry laughed lightly, forever thankful for the girl beside him. “And what will I become then? Witch Weekly writer? Real estate agent?”

“You could always try quidditch,” she suggested as they reached the living room.

“I think I’ll leave that to you. I’d have to attend anger management classes first, I bet.”

Ron appeared suddenly from the kitchen, striding towards him with a triumphant look.

“Are you going to the Ministry tomorrow?” he asked.

Harry nodded, confused. “Yeah, I’ve got to speak to Kingsley about a few things,” he replied vaguely, unsure of Ron’s intentions.

“All right, I’m coming with you. If you’re not going to let this Auror rubbish drop, then I guess I’ll have to become one with you, won’t I?”

_“What?!”_ cried Harry, brows raised. “Ron, being an Auror-“

“If you’re about to tell me that I’m not good enough to be one, I will be offended, Just so you know,” he replied dryly. 

“You know that you’re capable – I don’t need to tell you that,” Harry snapped. “But it’s different-“

“It’s not different at all,” Ron interrupted, a harsh glare piercing his face. “I won’t have you doing all that stuff by yourself. I almost lost you once, I won’t risk it happening again. Now, if you’d please, Mum’s cooked my favourite and George’s come down for once, so come on.”

And with that, Ron marched into the kitchen, followed closely by an emotionally suppressed Harry and Ginny, who had cheered up significantly at the sight of George sitting amongst them, looking mildly lost without his other half but, nevertheless, still there.


End file.
